The present invention relates to soil retainer blocks used in building construction. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the present invention is a flexible, lightweight, and durable soil retainer block used to prevent soil and water from seeping underneath a building foundation.
In many areas of the country, buildings, either commercial or private, are constructed with their foundations supported above the ground by concrete piers interconnected by crossbeams to prevent soil movement from damaging the foundation. Some soils, especially those containing clay, tend to be very moisture sensitive which means that they expand and contract responsive to the amount of water in the soil. The constantly expanding and contracting soil creates shearing forces which often cause foundations resting directly on the soil to crack. Thus, foundations placed on concrete piers are protected from the underlying soil. However, once a foundation has been raised, it is necessary to prevent soil and moisture from invading the space separating the foundation from the underlying soil.
The conventional method employs concrete soil retainer blocks placed against and about the foundation. Soil is then filled about the foundation to remove the concrete blocks from view. Thus, the concrete blocks form a barrier which attempts to prevent soil and water from accumulating under the foundation. The concrete retainer blocks operate adequately to keep out soil and moisture, however, builders and building owners experience problems when using them.
Concrete soil retainer blocks are difficult to install. Expensive placement machinery is necessary to aid in their placement, and they are fairly heavy, weighing approximately 70 lbs, which makes them difficult to situate against each other and the foundation. Additionally, their weight creates an increased risk of lifting injuries to the workers installing them. Essentially, the heavy concrete soil retainer blocks require extensive machinery, manpower, and time to install which makes them uneconomical as well as potentially injurious.
Furthermore, once in place, the concrete soil retainer blocks do not adequately stop soil and water from invading the space underneath the foundation. Although the concrete soil retainer blocks abut against the foundation and each other, they fail to form a perfect seal because of their inflexible construction. Instead, grouting must be placed at all the seals. Unfortunately, grouting is rather brittle when it dries and easily cracks which creates openings through which soil and water may pass. Additionally, applying the grouting about the concrete soil retainer blocks is expensive when measured in both time and labor. Moreover, the top edges of the concrete soil retainer blocks form a ledge which traps water against the foundation. The trapped water then seeps under the foundation to cause moisture damage.
Thus, the present invention has been designed as a lightweight, flexible, and durable soil retainer block which overcomes the above problems and functions more efficiently to prevent soil and moisture from invading the space underneath the foundation.